Tag: Ornithology
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When the Sky Went Dim: How the 2024 Solar Eclipse Triggered a False Dawn Chorus in Birds
The 2024 total solar eclipse that swept across North America did more than dazzle observers; it offered a rare natural experiment for scientists studying how light shapes animal behavior. A new study shows that 29 species of birds altered their vocalizations before, during, and after the eclipse, and many answered the sun’s return with a…
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Warning Call Unites Birds Worldwide: Innate-Learned Signals
Global Discovery: A Shared Warning Across Continents A recent study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals a remarkable evolutionary bridge in avian communication. Researchers spanning Cornell University and Donana Biological Station in Seville examined how birds respond to brood parasites, a strategy in which parasitic birds lay eggs in others’ nests. In a finding…
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Birds’ Vocal Warnings Reveal Clues About Language Origins
Global parallels in nest-parasite warnings A sweeping international study finds that more than 20 bird species across four continents share an remarkably similar warning call when they spot a brood parasite near their nests. The whining vocalization, learned in the moment as birds listen to their surroundings, appears to be a common strategy across distant…